Cop killed as militants attack police post in Budgam

A policeman was killed in a militant attack at Wadwan area of Budgam and a civilian was injured after government forces opened fire on stone-pelting youth in adjoining Soibugh village on Friday.

Inspector General of Police (Kashmir) SP Pani said that the militants attacked a picket of police guards, killing one of them. He added that the attack was probably carried out to snatch weapons from the guards.

He said that the militants were confronted by the policemen who were inside the picket, after the slain cop, Shamim Ahmad, raised an alarm.

“Militants appeared outside the Guard Post in Wadwan Budgam and held up Sg Ct Shamim Ahmad outside his guard post. Ahmad was unarmed and was going to offer Friday prayers at a local mosque in the vicinity,” a police spokesperson said, adding that militants told Ahmad to lead them towards the guard post but he raised an alarm. The policemen inside the guard post then foiled the militants’ attempt to attack them.

“In the process, the said policeman was injured and subsequently succumbed to his injuries,” the spokesperson said. Sg Ct Shamim Ahmad was a resident of Check Hanjan in Yaripora Kulgam.

Following the killing of the policeman, government forces launched a search operation in the area to nab the assailants. Local youth pelted the troops with stones in nearby Soibugh village. In retaliation the forces opened fire. A few youth were reportedly injured in the firing, one of them – Majid Ahmad Mir, 20 – was rushed to the nearby public health centre (PHC), from where he has been shifted to SKIMS Bemina.

There have been two earlier incidents in Budgam of militants attacking police posts and snatching their weapons. On January 25, a group of militants fired upon policeman Kultar Singh (JKAP’s 13th Bn) who was guarding the Charar-i-Sharief shrine and snatched his rifle and fled from the spot. Singh was severely injured and later succumbed to his injuries.

On April 25, militants attacked and snatched rifles of four policemen at the police post in Goripora area of Hyderpora.